Winter School Programme 2026


Manawatū Cricket is pleased to announce that registrations are now open for our 2026 Winter School Programme.

The Winter School Programme is our premier off-season development opportunity, designed for players who are eager to continue improving their skills and prepare for the upcoming cricket season.

We recognise and support players who choose to prioritise their winter sport commitments during Terms 2 and 3. Participation in any off-season programme is entirely optional, and choosing not to take part will have no impact on eligibility for in-season programmes, representative teams, or future opportunities. Our Winter School is simply designed for those who are able and motivated to continue their cricket development during the off-season.

The 2026 Winter School Programme continues to evolve, building on the strong foundations established in previous years. The programme has been carefully designed around the key skills and competencies identified as important at each stage of a young cricketer's development journey. These focus areas will provide the foundation for player development throughout the season.

A key strength of the programme is its ability to cater to individual needs. Coaches will work with players at their current stage of development, providing both foundational learning opportunities and appropriate challenges within each group. This approach ensures every participant is supported to progress and develop, rather than following a one-size-fits-all model.

Our Winter School will once again be delivered by some of the region's most experienced and passionate coaches, ensuring a high-quality, engaging, and meaningful experience for all participants.

Whatever your cricketing goals for the 2026/27 season, the Winter School Programme will help you take the field with greater confidence, capability, and readiness to achieve them.


We have the following opportunities;


Year 4/5/6 

6 week programme

Wednesday 19th August - Wednesday 23rd September 3:45pm-4:45pm

Players will be taken through the basics of fielding, bowling and batting to ensure good foundations are being created in these core areas. For those players that require extension and greater challenge, that will be accommodated in our games based learning environment.

$130    


Years 4-8 Girls 

8 week programme

Thursday 6th August - Thursday 24th September 3:45pm-4:45pm

Players will be taken through the basics of fielding, bowling and batting to ensure good foundations are being created in these core areas. For those players that require extension and greater challenge, that will be accommodated in our games based learning environment.

$130

  

Year 7&8 

8 week programme 

2x options:

  • Wednesday 5th August - Wednesday 23rd September 5pm-6pm
  • Thursday 6th August - Thursday 24th September 5pm-6pm

Players will begin to learn more about their preferred skills. General focus on fielding skills will start every session. 

Batting focus areas will include developing strong foundations around; Drives, Playing the short ball & use of feet to play spin.

Bowling focus areas will include developing understanding around; Run ups and the importance around them, perfecting stock delivery, exploring change up delivery and principles of death bowling. 

$170


Secondary Players

9 week programme

  • Monday 20th July - Monday 21st September (Girls) 4pm-5:30pm
  • Monday 20th July - Monday 21st September (Boys) 5:30pm-7pm
  • Tuesday 21st July - Tuesday 22nd September (Boys) 4pm-5:3pm
  • ​​​​​​​Tuesday 21st July - Tuesday 22nd September (Boys) 5:30pm-7pm
  • ALL SECONDARY programmes have a break on Winter Tournament Week (Monday 31st August/Tuesday 1st September)

Our Secondary Winter School will continue to build on the core fundamentals of the game, with an increased focus on skill specialisation and individual player development. Alongside refining technical skills, we will introduce players to key performance behaviours and embed these throughout our programmes to support their growth and development both on and off the field.

Fielding will be an important focus in every session with dedicated time exploring and developing our skills in a variety of situations. 

Batting will explore and focus tools and skills around power hitting vs strike rotation, ability to judge line & length, effectively playing spin. 

Bowling will focus on understanding field placement and bowling to fields, death bowling, using the crease effectively, safe bowling actions.

All sessions will be 1.5 hours to ensure enough time is spent on each area of focus. 

$190


Development Squads

9 week programme

  • Friday 24th July - Friday 25th September 4pm-5:30pm (Girls)
  • Friday 24th July - Friday 25th September 5:30pm-7pm (Boys)
  • BOTH DEVELOPMENT programmes have a break on Winter Tournament Week (Friday 4th September)

For our most aspirational we will again be offering our Development Squads in 2026/27, that will provide support to our most aspirational and identified Year 11-13 players. In the registration form below, please select the Secondary Group that suits you the most for now. More information will be sent out to these squads once finalised.

$230


To register complete the form -  https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/register/0f8ef7


All enquiries please email cole@mca.org.nz